Kansas Sees Decline In Voter Registrations On Hold

Kansas saw a sharp drop over the past week in the number of prospective voters whose registrations were on hold for failing to present proof of their U.S. citizenship to election officials.

The secretary of state’s office says such registrations on hold peaked at about 18,500 on Monday. By Friday, the number had fallen to fewer than 17,200. The decline was about 7 percent.

The decrease came after a move by the state Department of Revenue.

It forwarded information to election officials about 6,000 people who’d presented a birth certificate, passport or other citizenship papers at its driver’s license offices to obtain or renew a license.

The proof-of-citizenship requirement for new voters took effect in January. People with registrations on hold aren’t legally eligible to vote.